Funeral services for Afimutasi Gus Hannemann, the late director of ASG’s Hawai’i Office are set for next weekend and he will be laid to rest three days later at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl in Honolulu.

Afimutasi passed away last Friday evening at Straub Clinic in Honolulu; he was 78 years old.

In a facebook post, former Honolulu City Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who is Afimutasi’s younger brother, announced that “services for our beloved... Afimutasi” will be held Saturday, Jan. 17 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints’ Hawai’i Kai Ward Chapel and viewing will commence at 10a.m. with funeral services starting at 12noon.

As a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Afimutasi will be buried Jan. 19 at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at 11:30a.m., said Mufi, adding that family and friends are welcome to attend both services.

Afimutasi’s widow, Lydia, said her husband served for four years in the Air Force right after high school in Honolulu and therefore he will be “buried with military honors” which can only be done during the weekdays, not on the weekend (Jan. 17 is a Saturday).

“I am still in shock over his passing, and I am already missing my husband very, very much,” she said via phone from Honolulu.

Sen. Galeai Tu’ufuli said he was also “shocked and very saddened” when he learned of Afimutasi’s sudden passing. Galeai said he met up with Afimutasi early last month at the Honolulu International Airport and that Afimutasi was also there to meet with then newly elected Congresswoman Aumua Amata, who was sworn into Congress on Tuesday this week.

“I grew up with Afimutasi in Fagatogo and we’ve known each other for many years. And when I met him last month at the Honolulu airport, he looked very healthy and doing well,” Galeai said. “So his sudden passing is very sad and shocking.”

“Afimutasi is a man who wouldn’t say no to anyone who asked for help and that was his gift — getting things done. If you need something done, Gus is your man and believe me, he did not shy away from getting you the help needed,” he said. “Afimutasi also had numerous ideas to help the territory and he shared some of those ideas when he served in the House several years ago.”

“He is a well known person in American Samoa and abroad and my condolences to his wife, children and family,” Galeai said. “Afimutasi will be missed dearly by the many people who he helped over the years.”

This week Monday, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga issued an official statement regarding Afimutasi’s passing, saying that the late director “epitomized the best of our Samoan culture values evidenced by his enormous sense of compassion and kindheartedness to anyone who sought help.”

Lolo described Afimutasi as a personal friend and a professional colleague “and we worked collaboratively for many years on numerous projects to improve the lives of our people as well as other nationalities living in Hawai’i”.

On behalf of Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga and wife Pohakalani, along with the cabinet directors, the government and people of American Samoa, the governor expressed deepest condolences to the widow Mrs. Lydia Hannemann and the children over Afimutasi’s passing.

(See Monday’s edition for more details about Afimutasi)